WWE Crowns First SmackDown World Cup Winner, Earns Intercontinental Title Shot

By Matthew Aguilar

The finals of WWE's first-ever SmackDown World Cup was set for tonight's SmackDown, and it would be between Santos Escobar and Ricochet. Escobar doesn't roll alone though, but Legado del Fantasma would find themselves exiled from the ring, leaving Escobar and Ricochet truly in a one-on-one situation. Ricochet took advantage of the evened odds too, and the two would go on to have a fantastic match that saw both inches away from victory and a shot at Gunther's Intercontinental Championship. It was ultimately Ricochet though who would clinch the win, making Ricochet the first-ever SmackDown World Cup winner.

At one point in the match, Legado tried to intervene, and while they did get in a few shots on Ricochet without the referee noticing, they tried to interfere just a bit too much, and the referee would end up catching on. That resulted in Cruz and Joaquin being thrown out, and while Zelina Vega was sitting in on commentary and unaffected, she would jump onto the ring apron to contest the ruling.

That led to the referee also throwing her out, and that left Santos truly on his own against Ricochet. Ricochet and Escobar would throw the kitchen sink at each other, and Ricochet would shift momentum his way with a superplex. They both got to their feet and exchanged strikes and uppercuts, and then they collided in the center of the ring, knocking each other down to the mat.

Escobar drew Ricochet outside the ring and Ricochet leaped and landed on the barricade, and Escobar followed. Escobar hit a hurricanrana on Ricochet, but Ricochet kicked out of two cover attempts. Escobar had Ricochet on the top rope but got knocked down to the mat. Ricochet gathered himself but Escobar rolled out of the way and got back up on the ropes. Escobar hit another hurricanrana but Ricochet landed on his feet and then hit a knee to the face. He then hit a suplex and rolled through into a vertical suplex and then went for the moonsault into a cover, but Escobar kicked out.

Ricochet hit a dropkick and then went up top again, but when he hit the splash Escobar got his knees up and went for the cover, though Ricochet kicked out of the pin. Escobar picked him up and hit knees to the head though Ricochet countered into a cover. Escobar kicked out and then had Ricochet pinned to the mat, but Ricochet kicked out. Escobar picked up Ricochet but stopped him with punches to the back. Ricochet hit a hurricanrana on Escobar and then hit a big knee to the head and a kick to the chin followed by a kick to the head. Ricochet went up top and hit the 630 splash into a cover and won the World Cup.

Ricochet will now face Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship on December 16th in Chicago.

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!

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